Cruelty
by abodo
Summary: A king must make choices, and sometimes sad conclusion must be reached before joy can be found.


This was much too cruel. Alibaba looked down at his hands. He wondered if he could do the same things they did. They were kings, excellent kings. They were respected, loved and led their people to prosperity. That was their role, that was their fate. Destiny loved them, gave them the opportunity and talents needed to rule. Compared to them, he was... He was just a fool. He was a fool whose head was far too high up in the clouds. So what if he loved his people with all his heart? So what if he believed in things such as right and wrong? So what if he dreamed of a place where everyone could smile, even those who were supposed to be on the opposite side of a war. What did it matter if he believed in so many wonderful things when he hadn't the strength to make them come true?

What was the worth of his royal blood? There was nothing left for him. Yet here he was, given a choice to reclaim his kingdom should he accept to be submissive to an overwhelmingly owerful force. He would be under their thumb, they'd where him like a sock puppet, but what choice did he have? He was powerless.

His hand reached for Amon's vessel.

Why was he chosen as a king? He was a despicable person. It had nothing to do with royal blood. His time on the streets and the cowardice he'd shown. The sins he let pass in front of him. What were the qualifications that Amon had seen in him? Even his good friend Aladdin. No, everyone saw something in him. They trusted him. And yet for all that trust, he could still not respond. Not to their feelings, nor the challenging inquiries of the cruel kings.

Ren Kouen was a cruel man. He believes his way is correct that the people should be unified under one ideology, under one belief and flag. Individuality would not be tolerated as to not sow the seeds of jealousy and hate. If there were no discontentment then there would be no notion of resistance. The few who rose would be swiftly cut down. It was a rule that assured stability by removing uncertainty.

Sinbad of the Seven Seas Alliance had shown his true colors. There was nothing but respect for the man. But his recent actions showed how equally rotten the easy going king could be. He was not royalty either, he was just a common man. A common man born with the ideal qualifications to be king. He was strong, he was smart, he was brave, he was charismatic. But why? Why did he do this to a girl who committed no wrong than love him well and truly? Why did he curse her with the fate of unwittingly betraying her family when all she ever did for him was sing of her love and devotion? She was amongst the enemy's ranks, she was a valuable warrior chosen by a metal vessel. And yet, she was nothing to either side but a marionette. One that danced to the tune of two songs. It was certain that one day, this disturbing dance would end, and it would end with her broken as both songs forced her to bend either way.

Ren Kougyoku, in the end. It was her that decided his fate. The condition for Ren Kouen to return his kingdom was to marry this girl, this girl dancing within a maelstrom that she had no idea existed. Indeed, it would have been easy if she were a despicable princess, if she were a hateful princess, if she were not his friend. But she was his friend and she would break should nothing be done. He couldn't let her break, he didn't want her to break. He cared too much about her. He cared so much that he was afraid that he actually loved her.

Then there was Morgiana, the person he promised to love had asked him to wait. If he married Kougyoku, Morgiana would be nothing but a concubine. It was something he could not accept either. She had always cared about him, maybe even loved him. She told him that he was always the first of her thoughts. And though it was only recent that he'd learned of these blurred feelings, he wanted to clearly respond to them with a nod and a smile. He wanted to love her.

Finally, there was also the city of Balbadd to consider. They were happy, but they were suffering. They had food, but their spirits starved for something more. The right to achieve had been taken from them, the right to decide their own fate. Instead, their destinies had been chosen for them. A fixed progression, a laddered structure that had to be climbed rung by rung was engraved in their minds. A false sense of success as everything had been given and could be taken away from them with none but a single word from their superiors. Even if the buildings were still made of mud and sandstone rather than brick and clay, even if the desert overran the current greenery and trees, this would still be nothing like the Balbadd he knew. Nothing like the Balbadd he was promised.

The world was cruel, and the kings of the most powerful factions had to be equally cruel to protect their kingdoms from it. He was kind, because he could afford to be kind. He no longer had a kingdom to protect. There was no reason to dirty his hands, not anymore. If Balbadd were returned to him, if once more become their king. Could he become just as cruel? Could he take the trust of his friends and abuse it without care or their pardon? Perhaps he could, perhaps he should. Maybe it was the only correct way to rule.

And yet, from the bottom of his heart, from the depths of his very being. The very essence of the man known as Alibaba wanted everyone to be saved. Even if dreams and ideologies could not save a kingdom, even if naive notions would weigh the scales between the life of a misguided child and his country's, people needed hope. That tomorrow would be a brighter day, that the world beyond our boundaries was a wonderful place. Alibaba dreamed that everyone could be happy with those thoughts in their hearts.

That's why he would act as the king he was recognized to be. He knew what choice had to be made.


End file.
